Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Define These Fancy-Sounding Words?

Annette

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About This Quiz

It's about to get all high-falutin' up in here! There are some pretty fancy words in the English language, but most people can't define them all. Are you going to be one of the chosen few? This may turn into an abattoir (slaughterhouse).

Acidulous

Acidic

Fun

Pithy

Something that is acidulous is acidic or sour. Tell that sarcastic SOB that he is being acidulous.

Adroit

Happy

Free

Quick

When you do something adroitly, you're doing it quickly or with much skill. It's a fancier way of saying "adept."

Belladonna

Beautiful woman

A plant

Both

Did you know that Belladonna is a fancy name for a seriously poisonous plant? It's also Italian for "pretty woman."

Tabernacle

Holy place

Demon

Tool

A tabernacle is like a church, only more so. Beginning priests wouldn't be running the show here!

Celluloid

Stormy

Transparent

Boring

Something that is transparent is described as being celluloid. It's also colorful, and is used to describe photographic film.

Bibliophile

A cynic

A book lover

A predator

A bibliophile is a fancy word for someone who loves books. A book collector is a bibliophile.

Cadence

A dance

A military salute

Rhythm of language

Every language has its own cadence, or rhythm. It also refers to the lilt of a language.

Coquette

A flirt

A clown

A rabbit

Oh, that saucy little coquette! This is the fancy way of referring to a woman who is a sexual tease or flirt.

Dapple

Explosion

Roadway

A spot

A dainty little dapple is merely a spot of mottled marking. These dapples usually appear in clusters.

Legerity

Quickness

Lethargy

Apathy

Legerity comes from the French word, and it refers to agility and dexterity. It's important to place croquet with a great deal of legerity.

Alabaster

Green

Grey

Translucent white

Do not say to the woman that she has lovely pale skin. To really impress her, tell her that she has alabaster skin.

Dell

Hat

Bag

Wooded valley

A dell is a little wooded valley or vale. For instance, we're all aware of the farmer in the dell.

Echelon

Elevator

Level

Roof

An echelon is a level or tier. When you're in the upper echelon, you're the cream of the crop.

Leviathan

A dance

The apocalypse

A large animal

A leviathan is an exceptionally large animal. A whale is often referred to as a leviathan.

Effluvium

Hair

Foul discharge

Flower

Effluvium is a fancy word for foul discharge or emissions. Idiots might hurl rank effluvium from their mouths.

Clemency

Fire

Refuge

Mercy

Clemency is a fancy word for mercy, or an act of mercy. You must beg for the judge's clemency.

Élan

Vivacity

A bird

The sky

Élan refers to a kind of vivacity or brio. It's also an ardor or gusto.

Literati

Homeless people

Ballet dancers

Intelligentsia

The literati are also referred to as the intelligentsia. They are the educated class, and they're known for being quite literate.

Brio

Vivacity

Gusto

Esprit

All of the above

Brio refers to a kind of joie de vivre! Let's all aspire to be more brio in this life!

Ennui

Excitement

Candor

Discontent

Ennui is a sort of spiritual or psychic discontent. It's also a listless or a weariness.

Cinnabar

Opulent

Red

Serene

Cinnabar is a word for the color of bright, glowing red! The villain's eyes were sinister and cinnabar.

Equestrian

Relating to dogs

Dealing with agriculture

Relating to horses

Equestrian is in reference to anything dealing with horses. When going on a hunt in the countryside, you're undertaking an equestrian expedition.

Esoterica

Sexy

Rare

Common

Esoterica are items that are rare and esoteric. They're also obscure and sometimes valuable.

Forte

A niche

A classification

A game

Someone's forte is the niche within which they excel. For instance, taking quizzes might be your personal forte.

Gale

Cloud

Wind

Persian dish

A gale is a rough gust of wind. People sometimes say that it is "blowing a gale" outside.

Gambol

An addiction

To jump about

A Christmas song

To gambol is to skip or jump along merrily. If you're having a good day, then you might gambol about in the heath.

Caliginous

Misty

Overused

Insane

Oh, just gaze across the way at that caliginous dawn. It's dim, obscure, gloomy and tenebrous.

Heath

Uncultivated land

Mall

Fountain

The heath is an uncultivated piece of land. Folks in Britain are always taking jaunty walks in the heath.

Capricious

Lofty

Whimsical

Horrifying

When something is capricious, it's quite whimsical and impulsive. It's also unpredictable.

Heliotrope

Purple

Flower

Both

Heliotrope refers to the color light purple, and also to a flower. Oh, Delilah, I do adore your heliotrope cashmere sweater.

Iscariot

Traitorous

Loving

Famous

Oh, Judas Iscariot! You tyrant! Iscariot refers to something that is treacherous, or someone who has committed betrayal.

Kismet

Amulet

That charm that you bought at Rite Aid is not a charm at all. It's an amulet! It wards off evil and impurity.

Knell

A gully

A bank

Solemn ring

To knell is to solemnly ring the bells. You will hear a knell during a funeral procession.

Lacuna

Reptile

Empty space

Type of pizza

A lacuna is an empty space or omission. When there is a gap in chronology, it's known as a lacuna.

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